Process of treating hydrocarbons



Feb. 7, 1933. H. 'r. DARLINGTON PROCESS OF TREATING HYDROCARBONS Original Filed April 22, 1927 bers may vary and t ey may conditions, should, be'of diii In the dra'win'g,,3. is the portal t rough Original application filed April 22 1927,

Patented eb. 7, 1933 UNITED, PATENT" OFFICE nouns '1. :omnma'ron, OF wEs'r cnnsrnarnnnsvrvnnm, ASSIGNOR, nrunsnn I ASSIGNMENTS,:TO on. conronn'rmn or AMERICA, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE or. swarms HYDBOQARBONS I have invented a new and useful process of the treatment of fluid hydrocarbons of which the following is a description ii In the distillation and cracking of petroleum h drocarbons where the production of low-bolling hydrocarbons from higher-boiling hydrocarbons is an object, I have found that the attainment of that object is considerably. aided bythe treatment of the hydrocarbonsin the manner hereinafter set forth, and that this treatment is very effectively given in a reaction chamber of special constructiondevised by me, and hereinafter described. This treatment takes place preferably, though notv necessarily,"at apoint intermediate the stage i of partialcracking in a still or kindred apparatus and the stage of dephelgmation or se aration. h i f y process willbe-better understood if, in connection with the description of it,- ref erence is made to the accom nying drawing, and-the following description of the-reaction chamber I have invented.

In the drawing: Fi 'ure 1" s a vertical section ofthe reaction "cham er; and

Fig'."2"is'a plan of the same;

Fi 3is a diagrammatic showing of the circulatory system including means for heatinglthe firstgcyclic stream. j j J ike figu'resjindicate' similar arts. This isa division of m pen in application Serial No. 186,005, filed Apri V 22,1927, for processand apparatus for-treatinghydrocarbons. I i The reaction chamber is made upof a Pinrality of tubular members arranged parallel to each other longitudinally an connected by tubes, of which I-have shown, one arrangement only. This construction is adapted, among ot er things, to promote circulation. The number and len h of these tubular memand, under some erent len hs.

which hydrocarbon, which has been distilled and partly cracked, enters-the reaction chamher under conditions of. temperature and superatmospheric pressure conducive to cracking, from the still A at 1, and is directed ther "treatment.

Serial No'.186,005, Divided and this application filed August '11, 1828. Serial,No. 298,887.

by the deflector plate 2 in the course indicated by the arrows circulating around through 3,

4,5 and 6, and then through 7,8, 9,5 and 7' and passing to 14, which I call a zone of noncirculatoryturbulence, located in the terminal tubular member 8 beyond and above the line of circulation therethrough wherein the hydrocarbon does not circulate to any substantial degree but owing to the motion com- 'municated by the circulation in other partsof ber; r 12 a means of discharging vaporized hydrocarbons from the zone of non-circulatory turbulence and feeding them to a dephlegmator,"separator or other apparatusfor fur- 1 level in the zone of non-circulatory turbulence, which level may vary as required by the character of hydrocarbon and working.

conditions employed, and 11 is an indicator or other means of ascertaining the oil level.

Valve controlled means 13 are provided for the introduction, as and when desired, of a catalyst, a gas, steam, or a treating or other a 'ent. Suchtreating agent may suitably be oi 'the type referred to in my PatentNo.

1,614,660." The addition of a catalyst, gas, steam, a treating. or other agent, ortwo or more of them, may be made at the point indicatedor at any other part .of the reaction chamber, or to the zone of non-circulating "turbulence alone. 15 shows valve controlled alternative means for introducing new stock,

or stock that has been treated. V v

Heavy fractions, such, for example, as may be'employed in the making of lubricating oil,

not desired to treat further atthe time'may 10 shows an optional oil .deposited carbon, and any-hydrocarbon it-is mo I have sought to combine and arrange the several parts of this reaction chamber in the most convenient and practical manner for effective use, but I do not confine myself to the embodiment of my invention shown, and I may vary the form and character of the several parts and the method of assembling them and still have an apparatus embodying the principles which make my apparatus new and distinct.

' This reaction chamber may, and ordinarily should, be insulated and it may have means of heating (not shown) either direct or by heat interchange in any approved manner. While I prefer that hydrocarbon should be raised to a cracking temperature in a still before its introduction to the reaction chamber, it may be preheated in any manner desired and the reaction chamber used as a combined still and reaction chamber. While mechanical means of circulation within the reaction chamber, other than that provided by the addition of a catalyst, gas, steam or a treating agent when used, is ordinarily not required, the reaction chamber may have in it mechanical means of circulation, such as paddles, a propeller 18 or an impeller operated by an external source of power, and should be provided with such a means of circulation when not connected, as it is in the drawing, to a still or other preliminary treating apparatus having such mechanical means of circulation.

I have found in actual practice that a multiplicity of tubular members arranged as shown in the drawing promotes circulation, and when these parallel tubular members exceed two, the circulation of the hydrocarbonsv increases progressively fromthe place of entry and in the tubes more distant therefrom is exceedingly active, and that this rapid circulation aids the cracking of hydrocarbon within the reaction chamber and causes the yield of greater quantities of more desirable produc g i In the practical use of this reaction chamber and the practice of my process, I feed an oil stock, preferably continuously, but intermittently if desired, to a still or any approved type, having suitable means of heatingand applying pressure, and preferably, though not necessarily, mechanical means of stood from the following example.

promoting circulation. I maintain in the still :a temperature and pressure conducive to cracking and pass the oil at cracking temperature and pressure in liquid form through the portal 3 into the reaction chamber. I then circulate the oil in the apparatus as shown to the zone of non-circulatory turbulence already described. There it vaporizes and the vapors pass through a pipe line controlled by the valve 12, or other connection, preferably to a dephlegmator, but they may pass to a separate or other apparatus for further treat ment.

To aid in the cracking and the vaporizing,

'I introduce through means provided for that purpose, at 13, or elsewhere if preferred, a

catalyst, gas, steam or treating agent, or two or more of them, or I may, if I prefer, omit this addition.

I have found that circulation of the peculiar kind shown, the agitation of the hydrocarbons in a zone of non-circulatory turbulence and the presence of a treating agent in the hydrocarbon while circulating and also while in the zone of non-circulatory turbulence, each effectually contribute to the crack ing and vaporization of the hydrocarbons and each help to produce more and higher grade products than can be otherwise obtained, andthat each one of them alone has some effect, but that they work more efliciently when some or all are used in combination.

The invention will more readily be under- Crackin stock, suitably gas oil, is heated in the sti l 1 to a temperature about 850 F., and is supplied at this temperature into portal3. The temperature in the tubular members 5 and 8 will be somewhat lower, for example, around 825. F. The pressure may be maintained by the valve 12 at about two hundred pounds. It will be understood that this pressure may be varied so as to maintain the bulk of the oil in the system liquefied. The upper end of the tubular member 8 is maintained at about 600 F., this temperature being controlled by the admission of fresh gas oil through the line 17. Thistemperature may be adjusted so as to control the nature of the vaporized product. Thus when the temperature of the vapor space above the surface 10 is maintained about 280 F., substantially commercial gasoline is distilled over. As a treating agent, bentonite may be employed. Said bentonite may be brought into suspension in a mixture of water and gas oil and may be introduced by the line 13. Suitable proportions are, 10 parts, by weight, of bentonite, 45 parts of water, and 15 parts of oil. The suspension may be introduced at the rate of about three or five gallons per one hundred gallons of oil treated, although greater or less quantities of the suspension may be employed. I

I claim: I

1. Theprocess of cracking hydrocarbon oil comprising cyclically circulating oil in three cyclic streams of oil undergoing liquid phase cracking, each of which is contiguous with one of the others, heating the first of said streams, the second of said streams being contiguous with the first for a portion of'its length and receiving heat therefrom by conduction and likewise transmitting heat from the second to the third stream by conduction.

'2. The process of cracking hydrocarbon oil comprising cyclically circulating oil in three cyclicstreams of oil undergoing liquid phase cracking, each of which is contiguous with one of the others, heating the first of said streams, the second of said streams being contiguous with the first fora portionof 7 its length and receiving heat therefrom by conduction and likewise transmitting heat from the second to the third'stream by conduction, the third stream beingin contact with oil which is substantially non-circulatory.

8. The process of cracking hydrocarbon oil comprising cyclically circulating oil in three cyclic streams of oil undergoing liquid phase cracking, each of which is contiguous I with one of the others, heating thefirst of a said streams, the second of said streams being contiguous with the first for a portion of its length and receiving heat therefrom by conduction and likewise transmitting heat from the second to the third stream by conduction, the third stream being in contact with oil whichis substantially non-circulatory,-and' withdrawing vapors from the noncirculatory zone. 7

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of August,1928. k

HOMER T. DARLINGTON. 

